Jon Jones on Wrestling Matchup at UFC 178: I’m Looking to Take Down an Olympian

Jon
Jones has accomplished the feat numerous times already: Take
down a more celebrated wrestler in the Octagon and dominate.

For example, “Bones” has had his way with the likes of Ryan Bader, a
two-time NCAA All-American at Arizona State University, and
Chael
Sonnen, an All-American at Oregon and a silver medalist at the
2000 Greco-Roman World University Championships, to name a couple.
After taking down Sonnen and finishing him in the opening frame at
UFC 159, Jones proudly proclaimed that he was able to ‘Chael
Sonnen’ Chael Sonnen -- in other words, beat him at his own
game.

Jones’ wrestling has been a signature throughout his run to the
205-pound title and during his subsequent reign. That won’t make it
any less satisfying if he is able to do the same to Daniel
Cormier, a two-time Olympian, at
UFC 178. In fact, the former junior college national champion
has made it his mission to test Cormier’s 100 percent takedown
defense rate come Sept. 27.

“I’m looking to go out there and take down an Olympian,” Jones said
during a Tuesday UFC Q&A session in Los Angeles. “Me, I had to
finish school early, I had a kid on the way and I dropped out of
college. I never got to wrestle Division I the way I wanted to, and
I feel that my dream in that sport was cut short.

“To go out there and take down an Olympian; to smother an Olympian;
to do what I do on an Olympian: It’s gonna be huge for me
personally.”

Tuesday’s event was tame compared to a day earlier in Las Vegas,
when Jones and Cormier engaged in a
brief scuffle during media day at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Following the altercation, the champ posted a video on his
Instagram account boasting about putting Cormier on his back “in
like six seconds.”

As much as armchair corner men might like to read into that
exchange, Cormier expects to present a considerably more difficult
target on fight night.

“Yeah I do [believe he will try to take me down]. I’ve seen him do
it every time,” Cormier said. “He’s done it against every guy . As
he said, it’s a personal goal of his to show that if the
opportunity would have presented itself, he would have been
successful at that level. I don’t think for a second that he
wouldn’t have been. He would have been one of the very best guys in
NCAA wrestling if he would have gotten to compete at the highest
level. That’s why he got recruited by the schools that he did.

“With that said, you know what: I’m so happy he’s going to try and
get a takedown. I can defend takedowns, and he’s gonna get his ass
taken down and he won’t get up. He’s gonna be stuck there.”

While Jones claimed -- or feigned -- ignorance regarding most of
his opponent’s credentials during the session, Cormier said he was
aware of the Jackson-Wink MMA standout’s prowess on the mats long
before he hit it big.

“I was coaching when he was in high school; I was very aware of who
he was,” Cormier said. “Do I believe he can wrestle with me? Yeah,
I think he can. I believe he’s going to attempt to. Do I believe
I’m the best wrestler in the division? I mean, hands down [I am].
Regardless of what he tries to do in the Octagon, it’s going to
take much more than wrestling.”